Magic Carpet

Walk into Kitty's bright, cheerful kitchen, and after you've admired the rich red trim, and the crisp, red gingham valances, you might notice the unique floor covering. Kitty made it herself, and it's proven to be durable and practical, as well as attractive.

Supplies: You'll need pre-primed canvas, available at art supply houses, gesso, a neutral paint color for background, a variety of paint colors in small amounts (this is a great project for using up extra paint), paint pens, and a water-based, non-yellowing polyurethane.

Instructions: Begin by cutting the canvas to the desired size + 1 inch. Turn the edges under 1 inch and glue.

Mix the gesso with the background color in a 1 to 4 ratio and prime the canvas - you want the canvas to be very stiff. Allow to dry.

Begin painting the canvas with random lines in random colors. Use foam brushes in varying widths for thick stripes and paint pens for thin stripes. Stopping the thin stripes before the edge gives it a hand-drawn look.

To finish, make a 50% solution of the polyurethane, and paint a base coat, allowing it to dry. Repeat with 4 coats of the polyurethane at full strength.

After 6 months of use, scrub it, and re-polyurethane.

A little history: This technique has been around for a long time. Pilgrims used to stencil canvas from old sails and use it for floor coverings - truly making the most of what they had!

Magic Carpet

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